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Guns had been
barred from man
who shot officer

Police said the weapon he used
to then kill his wife and himself
was registered to somebody else

By Rod Ohira and
Debra Barayuga
Star-Bulletin

The man who shot a police officer and then killed his wife and himself Wednesday night was convicted of domestic violence in June 1998 and prohibited from possessing a gun.

But that did not stop Allan Dequito from getting a Colt .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun, believed to be the weapon used to shoot Officer Robert Kellet, then Dequito's wife, Andrea Belcina-Dequito, 27, and himself at the estranged couple's home at 91-210 Keonekapu Place in Ewa.

In June 1998, Dequito, 27, pleaded guilty to abuse of a family member and second-degree terroristic threatening. Federal law prohibits those convicted of domestic violence from possessing or owning firearms.

Detectives said the gun Dequito used was not stolen and was registered to someone else. But they would not elaborate on how Dequito got the gun.

SIGNS OF TROUBLE In response to the Ewa shooting, Child & Family Service is making experts available to address issues related to domestic violence, such as early warning signs and what family and friends can do to help. For information, call Jan George at 543-8449 or Jacque Smith at 591-6599.

The prosecutor's office said the person who gave the gun to Dequito could face criminal charges. But it would depend on whether the person knew Dequito was going to commit a crime with the weapon and when the gun was given to him.

"It always depends on the circumstances and the facts," said First Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Iwalani White.

Sandra Joy Eastlack, administrator of domestic violence programs for Child and Family Service, said it is difficult to enforce the law that prohibits abusers from having a gun. "As long as we do have guns and they're around and available, if you really want it, you're going to get it," she said.

Domestic violence groups are lobbying for a law that would make it easier for authorities to seize weapons. But she said police don't have the manpower to track down all the guns a person may own or have access to.

Dequito was sentenced to one-year probation and ordered to complete a domestic violence intervention program and undergo substance abuse assessment after his conviction.

Dequito completed the domestic violence program last February, and his discharge report notes that he "appears to understand the dynamics of domestic violence and appears to have general ability to recognize low levels of anger and use anger management skills."

In January 1998, six months before he was convicted of domestic abuse, Dequito sought and received a temporary restraining order that prohibited his wife from contacting him.

He said his wife had slapped, punched and threatened to kill him twice that month and had subjected him to extreme psychological abuse.

"She get mad quick, swearing at me, criticize my family. She so demanding," he wrote in his petition for a TRO. He added that because of his wife's abusive conduct, "I believe I am in immediate danger" of physical harm.

Meanwhile, a Kevlar vest is credited with saving the life of Kellet, 33, who was shot in the chest.

"The armored vest offers protection and saves lives," said Deputy Chief Michael Carvalho. "We definitely see a need for it, and (Wednesday) night was a good example."

A fragment of the bullet that struck the officer's vest ricocheted into his arm, police said.